Arkansas Government Contracting Specialists

msberman@uada.edu

• Program Director of the Arkansas APEX Accelerator program since January 2017.
• Over 15 years of experience in managing federally funded cooperative agreements and grants.
• More than 20 years of expertise in community and economic development.
• Serving 5+ years on the Board of Directors of the National APEX Accelerator Alliance (NAPEX).
• A dedicated lifelong public servant with a history of volunteerism, including roles as a Peace Corps Volunteer, AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer, and active community volunteer in Little Rock.
• Earned a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
• Holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications with a focus in Political Science from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

thicks@uada.edu

• 21-year veteran, United States Air Force
• Certified VA-Verification Assistance Counselor
• Former Arkansas Department of Finance (DFA) Office of State Procurement Specialist
• Vendor of the Year, Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police 
• State of Arkansas licensed teacher, with over 12 years in education; presented training on local, state, national and international levels
• M.S., Operational Management, College of Engineering, University of Arkansas
• B.S., Criminal Justice Administration, Park University

kgriffin@uada.edu

• Over 10 years of experience in high-value, high-risk contract development and evaluation 
• 8 years of experience in revenue management and pricing for enterprise and middle markets
• 10 years of experience in philanthropic efforts with multiple organizations across the Southeast
• M.B.A., Project Management, Beulah Heights University
• B.A., History, Georgia State University

kmagee@uada.edu
501-671-2081

Available to speak to:

• Business Owners
• Chambers of Commerce
• Civic Groups
• Community Leaders
• Elected Officials
• Economic Developers
• Anyone interested in learning about Arkansas APEX Accelerator, the services we provide and the potential benefits APEX Accelerator offers to businesses and local economies

krandle@uada.edu

• Over 13 years of experience in community engagement, governmental affairs and economic development across multi-state regions
• Over 14 years of foundation, non-profit and philanthropic leadership at the local, state, and national level
• 10-year tenure serving the citizens of Arkansas as central staff for the Arkansas General Assembly
• University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture LeadAR Class 16 graduate
• B.S., Business Administration, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

lrussell@uada.edu

• 15+ years’ experience in the entrepreneurship support field
• 30+ years’ experience, small business ownership
• Certified Procurement Professional
• Subject matter expert, SBA’s THRIVE Emerging Leaders program
• Mentor, The Venture Center’s VCWoman Achieve program
• MBA, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
• B.A., English, Rhodes College